As well as an editor, I am an independent author in
Australia, and I have been using Amazon KDP (and previously Createspace) to
publish my paperback books for some years. I have also assisted other
Australian authors to do so. Since 1 July 2018, changes to Australian law
regarding GST have led Amazon to make the decision to no longer ship proof
copies and author copies to Australia. Instead, I, as an author, am directed to
buy print copies from the http://amazon.com.au retail page. This means paying
(for instance) AU$18.33 plus shipping for a copy of my own book, rather than
US$3.68 plus shipping as it would have been. This is a HUGE cost increase and
makes purchasing copies for resale locally no longer viable.
I would love to hear from other authors, particularly in
Australia, but elsewhere too if a similar situation pertains.
Amazon is a large, technologically advanced company, and my
question to them is: When will Amazon resume shipments of proofs and author copies
to Australia, including handling of the required GST payment?
